JR Motorsports knows a thing or two about finding and evaluating talent. Look no further than some of the drivers that make up the Cup Series. Josh Berry, the rookie behind the wheel of the No. 4 Ford at Stewart-Haas Racing had a very similar path to the up-and-coming prospect that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will put behind the wheel of his JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time. Like Berry, Carson Kvapil has raced for JR Motorsports in the Cars Late Model Stock Tour. Kvapil has won two consecutive championships for the team.
New driver to the 88 ?@Carson_Kvapil set to make @NASCAR @XfinityRacing debut at @MartinsvilleSwy! pic.twitter.com/hswfvLMP5U
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) February 22, 2024
Kvapil will make his Xfinity Series debut at Martinsville Speedway on April 6th. And when he does, he will become the fifth driver in JR Motorsports history to make the jump from the Late Model program to the Xfinity Series.
Those others were Richard Boswell and the aforementioned Berry, along with Sam Mayer who drives JR's No. 1 Chevrolet, and William Byron who is fresh off winning the Daytona 500 for Hendrick Motorsports.
In a press release shared via Matt Weaver from Sportsnaut, Dale Jr. stated, "Our Late Model program at JR Motorsports has been a huge part of the success we've had as a company. We're excited to be able to give Carson the opportunity to take the next step in his career. Helping young drivers with opportunities to climb the ladder is part of the foundation of JRM. Carson is part of a long list of drivers who deserve the chance to take that step forward in the sport."
NASCAR is in Kvapil's blood, as Carson's dad Travis was a long-time racer in the Cup Series and won the Craftsman Truck Series Championship in 2003. The younger Kvapil summed it up well via the press release as a real full-circle moment for their family.
"I'm really looking forward to making my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Martinsville," Kvapil said. "My dad made his NASCAR Cup Series debut there back in 2004, so it's cool to make my first Xfinity start at the same track. I've run there in the Late Models for JR Motorsports and done well, and hopefully, I'll be able to use that experience to hit the ground running again with JRM in April."
Martinsville will likely be the first of many to come for Kvapil, who is also in the midst of running for a third-straight Late Model title. JRM certainly knows how to find and develop that talent.
